To play a conventional slot machine, the player deposits money into the machine, sets the wager, spins the reels, and collects awards for winning symbol according to a pay schedule. Since conventional slot machines are limited to the foregoing methods, players, casinos, and manufacturers suffer from repetition. Players grow bored of playing games using the same method of play; casinos suffer from player dissatisfaction with the casino's game selection; casinos cannot distinguish their games from other casinos; and game manufacturers cannot distinguish their products from other manufacturers.
Casino operators and slot manufacturers, therefore, have developed new methods of playing slot machines to overcome these limitations. One of these methods provides for the accumulation of elements over the course of multiple games with an award for accumulating a predetermined number of elements. For example, the Cherry Pie game from International Game Technology accumulates each cherry symbol that appears on the slot reels from spin to spin and issues an award upon the accumulation of a pre-determined number of cherry symbols. These multiple spin, incremental accumulation games, however, require that the player continue playing until completing the accumulation of elements and generating an award. Players that cannot continue playing, tire of playing, or run out of funds to play the game must surrender the time, effort and value of their accumulated elements to another player.
Thus, there is a need for a system and method of playing a slot machine game in which a player may accumulate elements generated by the game during one or more spins and, upon cashing out of the game, record any accumulated elements for future use at the same or different slot machine game. It is an objective of the present invention to satisfy this need.